The UW-Eau Claire wrestling team competed in, as well as played host to, the Upper Midwest Wrestling Regional tournament this past weekend. The Blugolds finished 11th of 17 teams, but had four athletes place in what is widely regarded as one of the toughest regionals in the country.

At 133 pounds, Thomas Severson, a first-year wrestler, finished in 5th place. In Saturday’s first match, Severson bested Scott Arneson of UW-Platteville with a 9-0 major decision. In his next match, Severson was pinned by Josh Stenger of UW-La Crosse, setting him up for competition in the 5th place match. Severson won this one by medical forfeit.

Another first-year wrestler, Ryan Hannah, had a good tournament as well, finishing in 7th at 157 pounds. Against UW-Stevens Point’s Luke Smiley, Hannah would lose a close one with an 8-7 decision. Hannah went on to avenge this loss in the 7th place match, pinning UW-Whitewater’s Scott Schieldt in just 2:16.

Second-year wrestler David Dudych also placed, concluding his tournament with a 7th place finish at 149 pounds. In his first match on Saturday, UW-Whitewater’s Bernard Casella defeated Dudych by fall, sending Dudych to the 7th place match. He squared off against UW-Oshkosh’s Corey Knudsen, this time winning by fall to secure the victory and 7th place.

Representing the Blugolds at 174 pounds, Toby Mosley, a fourth-year wrestler, also ended the weekend in 7th place. Against UW-Stevens Point’s James Borgen, Mosley lost by decision, 6-2. The loss established a 7th place match between Mosley and Elmhurst’s Nevin Brittain. Blugolds’ senior would record an 8-1 victory.

Head Coach Tim Fader said he was proud of the way his team competed, and stressed that the future is bright.

“This is a really young team,” Fader said. “We have five freshmen and four sophomores who competed… there’s a lot of promise and excitement about these guys and where they want to finish in their careers.”

Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the tournament, though, wasn’t the actual competition at all. The Blugolds had the privilege of hosting the tournament, which brought with it many benefits. Wrestler Toby Mosley said he believes having the tournament at the McPhee Center helped the team all weekend long.

“It was great to be here the whole time,” Mosley said. “I got to sleep in my own bed, use our own facilities to work out, use our athletic training facility to take care of my body. It was huge.”Fader said that hosting this regional is a big deal as its one of the most challenging in the nation.

“We are proud of hosting this,” Fader said. “There are some great teams and great wrestlers here. I appreciate our administration in helping run the tournament because it went really well and we had a great crowd.”

This tournament ended the Blugolds’ season; however, three Blugolds earned berths into the national tournament on March 8 and 9 in Roanoke, Va.

Semb can be reached at [email protected].